Colorado Sportswomen Of The Year
 
DENVER, Colo. – Colorado School of Mines women's soccer striker Reese McDermott has been honored as the 2024 Colorado Sportswoman Of The Year in Division II college soccer the organization announced Friday. She is one of three athletes in the sport of soccer recognized along with Jordan Nytes from Division I Colorado and Sophia Smith of the Portland Thorns FC at the professional level.
 
McDermott becomes the second Orediggers to earn the honor, joining Emily Garnier who was honored twice in 2016 and 2017 and was the first woman to earn the honor twice. She will be recognized at the Sportswomen of Colorado's annual banquet on March 9 at the Hyatt Regency Denver Tech Center alongside more than 40 other outstanding high school, collegiate and professional athletes and groups from across all sports.
 
One the greatest players in the history of Mines women's soccer, McDermott capped off her career this fall by repeating as RMAC Player of the Year and Academic Player of the Year on her way to a fourth First Team All-RMAC selection and second RMAC Tournament Most Valuable Player honor. She was named D2 CCA South Central Region Player of the Year as was a First Team All-American from by the D2 CCA and United Soccer Coaches. Additionally, she was named National Scholar Player of the Year by the United Soccer Coaches and a First Team Academic All-America® by the College Sports Communicators.
 
During the 2024 season, McDermott scored a career-high 19 goals with seven assists for 45 points with seven game-winning scores in 1,457 minutes. She recorded a point in 16 of 23 matches last fall, scoring in 14, assisting in seven and doing both in five matches. McDermott recorded a hat trick and an assist on her way to seven points against West Texas A&M and strung together a six-match goal streak from October 6-25 during which she tallied eight goals while posting an eight-match point streak starting at the same time and running until November 1, during which she recorded 18 points. During the Orediggers' postseason run, she scored three goals with two assists including the equalizer in the RMAC semifinals against UCCS and the game-winner tournament title game against Fort Lewis. She also scored in the regional championship against Angelo State. McDermott ended 2024 tied for second in Division II in goals scored and also set the program record for fastest consecutive goals by an individual (29 seconds apart on Sept. 20 at Saint Martin's) and the latest goal and game-winner in program history (89:53 on Oct. 20 vs. MSU Denver)
 
For her career, McDermott started 81 times in 86 matches for 5,288 minutes with 53 goals and 19 assists for 125 points with 18 game-winners on 288 shots with 141 on goal. She ranks third all-time in goals, points, game-winners, shots and shots on goal and is fifth all-time in assists. She also ranks inside the top 10 all-time in matches captained and is on top five lists when it comes to single-season goals, points, assists and game-winners. She also holds the record for the two fastest goals scored to begin a match in program history and has several goal and point streaks that place among the best in program history.
 
McDermott graduated in December with a degree in Quantitative Biosciences & Engineering.
 
Founded in 1974, Sportswomen of Colorado is a community-based organization that supports and honors female athletes, celebrates their achievements and recognizes those whose efforts have advanced girls' and women's individual and team sports endeavors. Sportswomen of Colorado also runs a scholarship program, funding sports camp experiences for deserving girls aged 9-13. Learn more at sportswomenofcolorado.org.
 
Fans can keep up with Mines women's soccer on Twitter and Instagram at @mineswsoc. They can also keep up with Colorado School of Mines Athletics all year long on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram using the handle @MinesAthletics.